Academic Policies

Testing

Entrance Examinations

All entering freshmen are required to submit American College Test (ACT) scores or Scholastic Aptitude (SAT) scores to the Admissions Office. A student who has been unable to take either of these tests must make arrangements to take one of them prior to enrollment. New students are given personality and career assessment inventories and the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI). The LASSI is designed to gather information about learning and study practices and attitudes. The ACT English, Math, and Science Reasoning sub scores, as well as departmental placement exams, are used for placement in these areas. These scores, as well as the personality and career inventories and the LASSI, are used to help students, faculty and staff address the individual needs of ALC students.

Exit Examinations

Students completing a degree in Biological Sciences Education (8-12), Elementary Education (P-5), English Education (8-12), Mathematics Education (8-12), Middle School Education (5-9), Physical Education (P-12), or Social Studies Education (8-12) must take all exams on the Praxis Series pertaining to their area(s) and also the appropriate Principles of Learning and Teaching Exam (PLT) before the last semester of enrollment. In addition to these standardized instruments, the College may administer other standardized tests, student surveys, or comprehensive examinations as required by major departments.

Registration Procedures

During the orientation period, students complete these steps. Locations will be posted for reference.

1) Admissions: Verify eligibility to register.

2) Meet with Faculty Advisor to finalize course schedule.

3) Present schedule to the Registration Office.

4) Financial Aid: Verify award status.

5) Business Office: Pay term bill.

6) Student Services: Register vehicle; Photo ID; Health Services.

7) Student Work Office: Verify labor position.

8) Pick up ID card and turn in registration card.

For important forms and other information of interest, please visit our page for the Registrar’s Office.

Academic Load

A normal full-time student load at Alice Lloyd College is 14.5 to 18.5 semester hours. An average load is 16.5 semester hours each semester for 8 semesters (128 hours are needed for graduation). Students with a GPA of 3.0 or above may petition the Vice President for Academics/Dean of the College to register for more than 19 hours (an overload) to a maximum of 21 hours. Freshmen may not overload (more than 18.5 credit hours) during the freshman year.

Dropping and Adding Courses

It is important that students be aware of the College’s policies for changing course schedules and withdrawing from classes. Failure to follow proper procedures could result in a loss of academic credit and a grade of “F.” After obtaining a Drop/Add card from the Registrar, the student must secure the signatures of the Faculty Advisor, instructor(s), Student Work Office, and if it is a general education course being dropped, also the Academic Dean, in that order. The completed card must be left with the Registrar.

Adding Courses: During each semester, students will be allowed to add a course to their original schedules up to the Last Day to Register date listed on the Academic Calendar.

Dropping Courses: Please note that requests to drop any general education course require the Academic Dean’s signature. Students may withdraw from any class a total of two times. Students who withdraw from courses (but not from the College) will have one of the following notations on their permanent record, depending upon the time of withdrawal.

1st-4th Week — W*

5th-11th Week — WP* or WF*

After 11th Week — F

*Not computed in the student’s GPA.

Student Classification

Different categories are used in the classification of students according to their current status and progress. Definitions of the most commonly used classifications are:

Full-Time Student — One who has been accepted by the Admissions Office as a degree candidate, and who is enrolled for 12 hours or more in a given semester. A resident student whose course load falls below 12 credit hours will be asked to move out of the dormitory.

Special Student — One who has been accepted for college classes, but not as a degree candidate. A special student may apply to the Admissions Committee for degree candidacy at any time after 15 hours of credit have been successfully completed.

Part-Time Student — A degree candidate or a special student carrying fewer than 12 hours in a given semester.

Sophomore — A student who has successfully completed a minimum of 30 credit hours.

Junior — A student who has successfully completed a minimum of 60 credit hours.

Senior — A student who has successfully completed a minimum of 90 credit hours.

Honor Student — A student who has completed 15 or more semester hours in a given semester and has earned a 3.250-3.749 grade point average will be placed on the Dean’s List. A student who has completed 15 or more semester hours in a given semester and has earned a 3.750-3.999 grade point average will be placed on the Dean’s Distinguished List. A student who has completed 15 or more semester hours in a given semester and has earned a 4.00 GPA will be placed on the President’s List. (Exceptions to the number of credit hours are allowed during the semester a student is student teaching when 12 hours constitute a normal full-time load.)

Student in Good Standing — A student who enters with and maintains a 2.00 GPA and meets the criteria for satisfactory progress.

Probationary Student — Any time the cumulative GPA falls below 2.00 or the term GPA falls below 1.50 during enrollment, a student is placed on academic probation for the following semester. Under rare circumstances a probationary student may be continued on academic probation for an additional semester.

Suspension (Academic) — Students are considered for academic suspension: 1) if their cumulative GPA is not at least 2.00 by the end of the probationary semester, 2) if their semester grades for a given semester fall below a 1.25; or 3) if they are not considered to be making reasonable progress toward the completion of a degree.

Satisfactory Progress Criteria for Academics: All students must show evidence that they are making reasonable progress toward the completion of a degree. In addition to the requirements for receiving financial aid, students must declare a major by the end of the sophomore year, must be accepted into a bachelor’s degree program after the fifth semester, and must maintain appropriate grades and meet other requirements for their major.

Evaluation of Student Performance

Student achievement in each course is reflected by the following letter grades:

A (Outstanding) – A high degree of excellence in the comprehension and interpretation of the work of the course; an indication of thoroughness, skill, initiative and originality in the application of knowledge gained.

B (Very Good) – Achievement above average in quality and quantity; indicated accuracy of knowledge, sustained and effective use of material in the course and independence in work.

C (Satisfactory) – A basic, average grade; indicates that the student has met the essential requirements of the course in quality and quantity.

D (Passing) – Passing, but below average; achievement inferior to the average in quality or quantity or both, yet sufficient to receive credit. A student may repeat a course in which he/she receives a “D” or “F.” The course may be repeated only once with the student receiving the higher of the two grades.

F (Failure) – Failure to meet the minimum requirements of the course.

W, WP, WF (Withdrawal, Withdrawal Passing, Withdrawal Failing) – These grades are explained in the section concerning dropping and adding classes. These grades are not computed in a student’s GPA.

I (Incomplete) – Temporary notation used only when course requirements have not been completed due to extenuating circumstances. For each grade of Incomplete, the instructor must submit to the Vice President for Academics/Dean of the College an Academic Standing Petition which specifies the work to be done to make up the Incomplete, what method is to be used to determine the final grade, and any additional pertinent information. The Registrar will not accept incomplete grades without an Academic Petition submitted to and approved by the Vice President for Academics/Dean of the College. An incomplete grade must be made up within the first 30 days of the next regularly scheduled term. Failure to make up the incomplete within the required period of time will result in a failing grade.

P (Pass) –Students taking courses that assign Pass/Fail rather than letter grades will receive a grade of P when they reach the necessary level of proficiency in that course or an F if they fail to do so.

Quality Points/Grade Point Average

Alice Lloyd College utilizes a four-point system as a weighted accumulative of the grades received.

A is worth 4 quality points per credit hour.

B is worth 3 quality points per credit hour.

C is worth 2 quality points per credit hour.

D is worth 1 quality point per credit hour.

Fmerits neither quality points nor credit hours.

The Grade Point Average is a cumulative expression of the student’s academic performance and is computed by dividing the total number of quality points by the total number of credit hours attempted. Withdrawal grades are not included in grade point computation except in the case of an “F” given when students withdraw from a course after the 11th week.

Auditing a Course

Auditing of classes is permitted only with the permission of the instructor concerned. Students desiring to audit a class must secure the approval of the course instructor, the Faculty Advisor, and the Vice President for Academics/Dean of the College, in that order.

Independent Study

Students have an opportunity to supplement formal course offerings by taking Independent Study (INST) 390. This option is not intended to replace any formal course offerings. An independent study would be a study outside the curriculum, in which a student would pursue an area of special interest to him or her. The student should work out a program of study to be approved by the instructor who would approve the design of study, the process by which the study is carried out, and the means of assessment for credit for the study. In order to register for Independent Study (Inst 390), a student must use an Academic Standing Petition to secure the permission of the instructor, the Faculty Advisor, and the Vice President for Academics/Academic Dean, in that order. If there are questions about the appropriateness or feasibility of such proposed arrangements, faculty advisors and intended instructors should discuss their concerns with the Vice President for Academics/Academic Dean prior to encouraging a student to approach the Academic Dean or to file a formal request. The approved study description must be attached to the Academic Standing Petition. A student may only request one course of Independent Study per semester and the student must be of senior standing.

Directed Study

Under rare circumstances, a student may be permitted to complete a course within the curriculum without attending class by meeting with the instructor at a time agreed upon by the student and instructor for discussion and direction. Students completing a course under this arrangement must meet all the requirements delineated in the syllabus normally used for the course. An Academic Standing Petition should be filed with a syllabus attached. A student may only request one course of Directed Study per semester and the student must be of junior or senior standing.

Appeal of Final Grade

If there is a disagreement regarding a final grade, every attempt should be made to resolve it first through discussion between the student and the faculty member, then between the student and the division chair. If the disagreement is not resolved in this manner, the student may submit a formal appeal in writing to the Vice President for Academics/Dean of the College who may appoint a committee of three faculty to investigate and provide recommendations on the merits of the appeal before a final decision is rendered by the Vice President for Academics. Formal appeals must be made within thirty days after receipt of the final grade.

Plagiarism Policy

The faculty of ALC has adopted the following policy concerning plagiarism: “Plagiarism is the act of using another person’s ideas or expressions in your writing without acknowledging the source . . . In short, to plagiarize is to give the impression that you have written or thought something that you have in fact borrowed from someone else.”

“Plagiarism often carries severe penalties, ranging from failure in a course to suspension or expulsion from school.”

“The most blatant form of plagiarism is to repeat as your own someone else’s sentences, more or less verbatim.”

“Other forms of plagiarism include repeating someone else’s particularly apt phrase without appropriate acknowledgement, paraphrasing another person’s argument as your own, and presenting another’s line of thinking as though it is your own. . .”

Source: Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 3rd ed. New York: Modern Language Association of America, 1988.

Academic Standing Petition

Academic Standing Petitions are provided to instructors and students for academic circumstances requiring the approval of the Vice President for Academics/Dean of the College and may be obtained from the Registrar. Students requesting permission to audit a course, register for an independent or directed study, or carry an overload should complete an Academic Standing Petition. Instructors may use the same form when requesting permission to change a student’s grade or to give a grade of Incomplete.

Class Attendance Policy

Students and faculty should realize that one of the most vital aspects of a college experience is attendance and punctuality in the classroom and that the value of this experience cannot be exclusively measured by testing procedures alone. Should the occasion arise in which a faculty member is unavoidably detained for a class, students must wait a minimum of 15 minutes before leaving. If students find it necessary to miss a class, it is their responsibility to arrange with the instructor to make up all work missed. Instructors must devise their own attendance policies, have them approved by the Dean of the College, include them in the course syllabi, and explain them to students. Continuation in class for a student who misses more than 20% of class time during any one semester, whether excused or unexcused, may be possible only after consultation with the faculty member involved and Dean of the College.

Student Withdrawal from College

The College regards the registration of a student as a contractual agreement. For this reason, special procedures must be followed in the event a student withdraws from the College. Students withdrawing should personally circulate a withdrawal form, obtained from the Director of Student Development. If the student cannot appear in person or if the withdrawal occurs when classes are not in session, the Vice President for Student and Community Life/Dean of Students should be notified by letter. Formal withdrawal protects the privilege of re-enrollment or of transfer credit to another college. Failure to follow withdrawal procedures during any session results in an “F” grade in all courses being taken. Such grade entries include the notation “Improper withdrawal.”

Policies concerning a withdrawing student’s financial obligations can be found in the Financial Aid section of the Program Catalog.

Students who withdraw from the College will have one of the following notations on their permanent record, depending on the time of the withdrawal.

1st-4th Week: W*

After 4th Week: WP* or WF*

*Not computed in the student’s GPA.

Students’ Right to Know: Notification of Students’ Rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”) affords Alice Lloyd College (“ALC”) students certain rights with respect to their education records. They are:

1) The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day ALC receives a request for access. Students should submit to the Registrar, Dean, head of the academic department, or other appropriate official, written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The ALC official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the ALC official to whom the request was submitted does not maintain the records, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.

2) The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading. Students may ask ALC to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the College officials responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If ALC decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, ALC will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.

3) The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception that permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by ALC in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom ALC has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon request, ALC discloses education records without consent to officials of another school, upon request, in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

4) The right to request that ALC not release directory information. ALC may release without the student’s prior consent that information which ALC has designated as “directory information.” ALC has designated the following information as directory information: The student’s name, address, e-mail address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, current class schedules, ALC ID number, classification, part-time/full-time status, photograph, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended. A student has the right to prohibit disclosure of any or all directory information. To do this, the student must identify in writing which type of directory information he or she forbids from disclosure. The written notification must be delivered to the Registrar’s Office by the last date of late registration each semester.

5)The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failure by ALC to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Dept. of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20202-4605.

Requirements for All Bachelor Degrees

In order to receive a bachelor degree from Alice Lloyd College, a student must meet the following criteria:

1) Achievement of at least a “C” grade in each course in the department of the major, minor, professional education, related studies and in collateral requirements. (Additional requirements for each major are specified.)

2) Completion of a minimum of 128 semester hours. (30 of the last 36 semester hours must be taken in residence at ALC.)

5) Completion of at least one-half of the courses in a major area at Alice Lloyd College.

6) Any tentative graduate must have all official off-campus transcripts, CLEP scores, etc., for transfer credit, in the Registrar’s Office no later than two weeks prior to graduation.

7) Participation in Baccalaureate and Commencement exercises.

General Education Requirement

Alice Lloyd College has established the General Education Requirement (54 semester hours minimum) to ensure that students acquire a mastery of basic communication skills, as well as a background in the variety of disciplines necessary for a sound Liberal Arts Education. The General Education Requirement consists of the Institutional Requirements and a distribution of courses to be chosen from each of three academic divisions: Humanities, Social Science, and Natural Science and Mathematics. Candidates for bachelor degrees from Alice Lloyd College must meet the General Education Requirement according to the following general guidelines. Students should check the degree requirements of a given major to determine whether for that major additional courses and/or specific courses are needed to fulfill the requirements.

Institutional Requirements /18 hours (Minimum “C” grade required)

1) Freshman Composition (ENG 101 and 102) — 6 hours (To be completed during the first year of enrollment or immediately following the successful completion of ENG 100*.) At the conclusion of ENG 102, each student will be required to take the ALC English Competency Exam (serves as the final exam). The purpose of the exam is to ensure that each student has the fundamental writing skills necessary for competent academic performance on the college level. Students who have a failing grade in ENG 102 must repeat the exam upon repeating the course. Transfer students must pass the exam in order to receive credit for ENG 102.

2) Physical Education (PE 103) — 3 hours (To be attempted during the first year of enrollment.)

3) Public Speaking (COMM 126) — 3 hours

4) Leadership Education (LE 101) — 3 hours (Foundations of Leadership Education should be completed before the end of the sophomore year.)

5) Introduction to Computer Information Systems (CIS 110) — 3 hours *ACT or SAT scores and departmental placement exams are used to assess the proficiency of incoming students in the areas of reading, writing, basic mathematics and science. Students who score below a certain level on these tests will be assigned to English 100 and/or Math 100. Students enrolled in either of these courses will receive General Elective credit upon completion. Students placed in both of these courses will also be placed in FT 105. Students receiving a grade of “D” or “F” in MATH 100 or ENG 100 will not be required to retake the course.

This online information is the official text of the Alice Lloyd College Program Catalog 2012-14. The College reserves the right to change at any time any of the provisions, statements, policies, curricula, procedures, regulations or fees. Other publications supplement the Program Catalog and may be obtained from the appropriate office of the College. The provisions of these publications constitute an agreement – but not an irrevocable contract – between the student and the College.